I'm beginning the PC upgrade process and looking for some help. I'm currently using CS6 on an older HP workstation, but with larger projects rolling in I am ready to upgrade to CC, but first need to buy a new computer.

We mostly shoot and edit xdcam HD422, but have recently been shooting a lot on the Canon C300. I am pretty PC savvy, but since there are so many options, I was hoping to get some build specs from anyone working with similar footage as I really don't have an efficient machine to compare to.

COMPUTER SPECS

Processor:

Any input here is welcome. I'm currently working with an Intel Xeon 5150 @ 2.66GHz and it has held its own considering how long I've had this computer.

Am I better off sticking with a new Xeon, or are there better options out there?

I'm also debating whether to customize a Dell or HP workstation, having a custom build from a place like AVA Direct or going with a lesser known brand specializing in video editing.

Video Card(s):

Looking for a nice mix of affordability and performance. Obviously video cards vary widely in price ($400 - $4000 and up), and I'm trying to maintain some sort of budget (still working on setting a budget, hoping to put that together based off these responses).

Must have capability to display to a 3rd monitor (large TV for clients). Do I need to spend the money buying 2 top notch video cards, or will 1 suffice for processing power and a decent, more affordable option to display to the TV?

Memory:

Because this was originally a Windows XP computer that I have been upgrading over the last 6 years, I am only running with 8 GB memory and it does hold me back along with the outdated Xeon processor. Just wondering how much people have without experiencing performance drop-offs due to lack of memory.

Hard Drives:

I am hoping to get a 256 GB solid state as my operating system drive (planning on staying with Windows 7) unless anyone has experienced issues with that size for the OS drive. All footage and projects will be stored on separate physical drives (at least 7200 rpm, shooting for 10,000 rpm drives). I am currently working with 2 internal, 2 GB drives to store footage and projects (I will not be carrying these drives over, they are only 5400 rpm), but am wondering if it would speed things up to have more, smaller drives, or fewer, larger drives.

Thanks, I have seen this, but I am looking for input regarding specific setups that work well. I have almost all of those requirements in my current workstation which is more at least 7 years old.

When exporting (or even previewing) HD videos, the system resources are maxed out and the export will slow to a crawl after a couple minutes. Also, when editing, I have to knock down playback quality to 1/4 and still have trouble with HD video when I have multiple layers and/or effects. I hate dealing with the lag when I have a client sitting next to me, especially after I already reduce playback quality.